Tina's mother(Omega) darted inside, tablet clutched to her chest. Though deaf and mute, her movements carried the same boundless energy as her daughter—an infectious, childlike bounce that seemed to fill the entire foyer. She stopped in front of Tina, wide-eyed, and tapped furiously on her tablet until the text-to-speech voice chimed out brightly.
{Tina I brought so many candies and chocolate for you!}
"Mama. You're here!"
Tina squealed, nearly dropping poor Neko Neko, who let out a startled squeak and clung tighter to her shoulder. As if on cue, her mother(Alpha) followed right after, balancing a large basket stuffed with neatly packed homemade dishes. She wore the same mischievous smile Tina so often flashed, and her eyes twinkled with mischief.
"Of course we are!"
She sang, already marching toward the kitchen like she owned the place. Well technically she did.
"We wanted to check on our little tornado—and make sure she's surviving without Elijah watching her every move!"
Tina puffed out her cheeks and squinted her eyes, at an attempt to glare at her Alpha mom. It wasn't very effective. She looked more like a sulky kitten than an intimidating tornado.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Tina demanded, stomping one foot on the floor for emphasis. Her alpha mom's grin only widened.
"Oh, nothing much. I'll just prepare some dishes before you eat all the candies and ruin your appetite."
Before Tina could argue, her alpha mom spun on her heel and practically skipped into the kitchen, humming a tune. Tina turned to her omega mom, who had been watching the exchange with quiet amusement while balancing her tablet.
"Mama, I missed you so much."
Tina said, throwing her arms around her. Her omega mom's fingers danced across the screen of her device—one custom-built by her alpha wife's AOB company. The speech-to-text and text-to-speech app translated instantly, the cheerful robotic voice filling the room.
{I missed you too, sweetheart. That's why...}
She made a little dramatic pause before continuing.
{I brought your baby pictures and videos.}
Tina's eyes went wide, her earlier pout vanishing.
"Yay! Let's look at them right now, I'm gonna go tell Mom!"
Without another word, she dashed into the kitchen, Neko Neko clinging to her like a furry accessory. That left Andrew standing awkwardly in the foyer with Tina's omega mom. She looked up at him with the same bright, playful eyes as her daughter, then began typing again.
{I'm very sorry for how rude we've been. It's good to see you again, Andrew.}
Andrew shifted uncomfortably, running a hand through his hair.
"It's… good to see you again too, ma'am."
He managed a small smile that was more polite than genuine. Tina's Mom(Omega) giggled silently, her shoulders shaking, and typed another line.
{Let's go look at Tina's baby pictures, shall we?}
Andrew had barely nodded when Tina came skipping back, her alpha mom trailing behind with a sly smile and a tray of freshly arranged side dishes. Within moments, the four of them were gathered in the living room, spread across the wide couch with a stack of photo albums and a tablet queued up with old videos. Tina plopped down in the middle, hugging a plush pillow and kicking her legs with excitement.
"Mama, remember this time I did that play with the song Hide and Seek by Lizz Robinett?"
She asked, eyes sparkling. Her omega mom tapped quickly.
{Of course. You sparkled.}
Tina burst into laughter.
"I have to admit, I was pretty good!"
Her alpha mom rolled her eyes playfully, nudging Andrew with her elbow.
"She means she screamed every note until the audience thought their ears would fall off."
"Mom!"
Tina whined, throwing the pillow at her, though she was laughing too hard to sound offended. Andrew watched the chaos unfold, unsure whether to laugh, groan, or excuse himself entirely. He settled for leaning back in his chair, arms crossed, watching the photos flip by. Each picture revealed a younger Tina—pigtails, missing teeth, covered in mud, making silly faces. She hadn't changed a bit except for the missing teeth. Her omega mom typed again, angling the tablet toward Andrew.
{She always wanted to be the center of attention. Just like now.}
Andrew smirked despite himself.
"Yeah. I noticed."
Tina pouted at both of them, cheeks red.
"Stop talking about me like I'm not here!"
Her alpha mom giggled, leaning over to pinch Tina's cheek.
"But you're so fun to tease!"
The pillow war that followed left the albums sprawled across the floor and Neko Neko scampering to hide behind Andrew's legs. Eventually, order was restored when her alpha mom marched back into the kitchen, declaring that her precious homemade food should not go cold. Tina scampered after her, still giggling. Andrew remained in the living room with Tina's Omega Mom, who continued flipping through the baby albums with fond smiles. The smell of freshly cooked food soon wafted in, filling the entire mansion with warmth. When they returned, Her Alpha Mom was balancing a tray of candies while carrying a steaming pot.
"Dinner!"
Her alpha mom announced dramatically.
"And snacks. And second dinner if you behave...Tina."
She whispered the last part. Andrew raised an eyebrow.
"That's… a lot of food for four people."
"Correction."
She said with a smirk.
"Three people and a tornado."
"Moooom!"
Tina groaned, slumping into her seat but still accepting the candy bowl. As they began eating, Andrew found himself sandwiched between Tina's moms—literally. The alpha mom leaned across him to ladle soup into his bowl, while the omega mom set a plate of dumplings in front of him, grinning expectantly. His omega instincts prickled uncomfortably at the sudden affection. He wasn't used to parents—especially alpha ones—hovering around him, treating him like family. But when Tina's omega mom gave him a soft, genuine smile, his chest tightened in a way that startled him. Tina noticed instantly. Her cheeks puffed, and she leaned forward with a scowl.
"Hey! Don't get too cozy with Mama, okay? She's mine!"
Andrew blinked, caught mid-bite.
"What—? I didn't do anything!"
Her alpha mom cackled, clapping her hands.
"Ohhh, our little tornado is jealous! This is going to be fun."
"Am not!"
Tina yelped, cheeks blazing red. She shoved a dumpling in her mouth to hide her expression, only to start choking when Neko Neko tried to steal a bite. Andrew sighed, pushing a glass of water toward her.
"You're impossible."
"And you like it."
Tina mumbled between coughs, earning more laughter from her moms. After dinner, the chaos only escalated. The omega mom pulled out an old camcorder, proudly showing off videos of Tina dancing, falling, and generally wreaking havoc as a child.
"Look, Andrew!"
Tina said, pointing at the screen.
"I was a star even back then!"
On the screen, toddler Tina was spinning in circles until she fell flat on her face. Andrew snorted.
"Yeah. A fallen star."
Her alpha mom nearly fell off the couch laughing, while her omega mom typed another line.
{She insisted on performing every day after school. We had to clap no matter how bad it was.}
"Traitors! All of you!"
Tina wailed dramatically, burying her face in Neko Neko's fur. Later, when the dishes were cleared and Tina was distracted trying to wrestle candy away from Neko Neko, Andrew found himself sitting quietly beside Tina's omega mom. She typed slowly this time, her eyes soft.
{You're good for her, you know. She's happier. Even if she drives you crazy.}
Andrew hesitated, then let out a small sigh.
"Yeah. She definitely drives me crazy."
He glanced toward Tina, who was now arguing with her alpha mom about how many candies were 'too many'. Despite himself, a smile tugged at his lips.
"But… I guess I like it that way."
He admitted quietly. Her omega mom didn't type anything else. She simply reached over and patted his hand once, her expression warm. Andrew's instincts buzzed again—foreign, uncomfortable, but not unpleasant. For the first time all day, he didn't feel like an outsider. The night ended in laughter, candy wrappers, and Tina declaring herself 'the most loved tornado in the whole world'.
{We have to go back home now, sweetheart. It's late now.}
Her Omega Mom said as she patted Tina's head.
"What? Can't you sleep over? It's been so long since we've spent some time together cause of a certain someone."
She glared at her Alpha Mom.
"Well you didn't keep your end of the deal so I had to decide between taking your StrayKids concert tickets or giving you a super hard project."
Her Alpha Mom shrugged.
"How could you even consider taking my concert tickets?"
"But I didn't cause I knew you were gonna be depressed for weeks if not month."
"Ugh,fine but you guys better visit soon."
{We promise we will.}
They both left and Tina went back to her room to sleep and Andrew wasn't sure he'd survive the next visit. But deep down, he already knew he wouldn't trade it for anything.
Neko Neko's mini theater🐨🐨
Humans are silly. Very, very silly.
I sit on the coffee table, tail flicking back and forth, watching Tina and her mama. The air smells like home-cooked food—savory, sweet, and something green that I will not eat because I am a proud koala with standards. Andrew hovers awkwardly like a lost pigeon, pretending not to stare at them.
But I? Neko Neko, the supreme observer of all drama, am watching everything.
Then it happens. Mama tilts her head, smiling that same childlike smile Tina always has. Her hands flutter, graceful like dancing butterflies. Tina nods, eyes shining. A memory hangs in the air, invisible yet heavy. I feel it, like warm sunlight pressed into my fur.
And then—oh, oh, oh—Tina sings.
Not with words. Not with sound. But with that strange magic humans call "memory."
"Ding dong, I know you can hear me…"
I blink. My ears twitch. Wait—what? How do I know those words? Koalas are not supposed to know song lyrics! Yet I do. Because once upon a time, tiny Tina sang it in her tiny voice while playing with her mama.
"Open up the door, I only want to play a little~"
The room is still, except for Tina's soft hum and Tina's Mom tear-bright eyes. Even Andrew forgets to be sassy. His mouth opens a little, like a goldfish, like he too has been caught by the melody of old days.
I remember. Yes, I do. Little Tina, dressed in pajamas far too big for her, giggling and hiding behind the curtains. Mama pretending to stumble, hands covering her face, whispering "Where's Tina?" in silence but making Tina squeal anyway.
"Ding dong, you can't keep me waiting~"
Ah. Goosebumps! Even on fur!
The song is soft, fragile, like moonlight dripping through the window. Tina presses her hands to her lips, whispering, "I remember, Mama." Her voice cracks, but she smiles, and Mama's eyes sparkle with the kind of love that makes my chest feel too small.
Andrew clears his throat, fidgeting. "That's… haunting," he mutters. But his cheeks are pink, and he looks at Tina like he's seeing a side of her no one else has.
Humans. Always making everything emotional.
Me? I hop down from the table and march to the dish Mama brought. If they're going to sing sad songs and cry, someone needs to eat the food before it gets cold. Obviously, that someone is me.
But even as I nibble, my ears keep twitching with the phantom notes of the lullaby.
"Hide and seek… I want to play…"
The memory lingers, sticky as honey. Tina and Mama lock eyes, their smiles mirrors of each other. Andrew sighs softly. And me? I chew, I watch, and I decide—humans may be silly, but sometimes they make life… warm.
Warm enough that even a koala feels like singing along.